Now that the MoneyLaw phenomenon has taken root in all manner of far flung U.S. cities from Charlotte to Austin to Denver, there has been a lot of talk of moving. Lots of associate would — at least in theory — like to get some of that sweet, sweet money with none of the New York City costs of living.
With this big talk in mind, Law.com has compiled a list of the best places to live and work in Biglaw (or at least Bigish Law):
Here’s how: We took The National Law Journal’s NLJ 500 law firm branch offices info and paired it with U.S. News & World Report’s The Best Places to Live. U.S. News’ ranking was based on a strong job market and a high quality of life, among other factors. The ranking by the NLJ, a Law.com affiliate, is based on the number of full-time equivalent lawyers in each office.
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So where exactly should you go?
1. Denver, CO
Sample firms: Holland & Hart, Sherman & Howard
2. Austin, TX
Sample firms: Jackson Walker, Norton Rose Fulbright, Baker Botts
3. Fayetteville, AR
Sample firms: Kutak Rock, Conner & Winters
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4. Raleigh-Durham, NC
Sample firms: Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, Poyner Spruill, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein
5. Colorado Springs, CO
Sample firms: Bryan Cave, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, Sherman & Howard
6. Boise, ID
Sample firms: Holland & Hart, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Perkins Coie
7. Seattle, WA
Sample firms: Perkins Coie, Davis Wright Tremaine, K&L Gates
8. Washington, D.C.
Sample firms: Covington & Burling, Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter
9. San Francisco, CA
Sample firms: Morrison & Foerster, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
10. San Jose, CA
Sample firms: Littler Mendelson, Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi
You can read the full list here.
That’s quite a list, but it’d take more than money to get me to move to some of these locations.
Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).